134 Best Sights in France

At the corner of a picturesque Place Saint-Louis in the heart of the old town, this 13th-century church mixes a sober Romanesque architecture with graceful Gothic elements in its flying buttresses and lovely rose window. It was built in the 13th century to commemorate Saint Louis’s final crusades, and a statue of the saint and king, who was monarch when the church was built, stands in the square. Though the church was ransacked by the Protestants in the 15th century and suffered damage during the Revolution, a sensitive restoration has returned it to its medieval splendor, although with modern windows. The rounded towers and square belltower are typical of the local architecture.

This 19th-century, neo-Byzantine church owes its warm, reddish hue to the pink sandstone native to the Estérel region. Its striking dome, reminiscent of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, watches over yachts and cruise ships as they glide into the harbor. Step inside, and you might be treated to the angelic strains of a choir rehearsal—or perhaps even a recital.

Eugénie and her Carlist compatriots weren’t the only members of the upper-class to arrive in 19th-century Biarritz. Czarist-era Russian aristocrats found refuge here too, turning the city into their Yalta-by-the-Atlantic. Witness the Église Orthodoxe Russe, a Byzantine-style church built above the Grand Plage (and handily close to the Casino) in the early 1890s. Its rather drab gray exterior conceals the glittering gold, stained glass, and mosaic work within. Biarritz's Orthodox community would later grow handily thanks to the Russians, Ukrainians, and other émigrés who came here in the years following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Note that opening hours of the church can be irregular as extensive renovation work is being carried out until at least 2027; it's best to call or check the website before visiting.

This austerely beautiful medieval church dates back to 1284 and the founding of Monpazier, but it was extensively rebuilt in 1450. A new bell, still in use today, was added in 1476. The gorgeous Gothic-style wooden choir stalls were added in 1506.

Founded in AD 500, this grand church across from the Louvre's eastern end is one of the city's oldest. It was destroyed during the Norman siege in 885–886, rebuilt in the 11th century, and subsequently expanded until the current edifice was finished in 1580. The bell, named Marie, dates to 1527. Guided visits in French take place on Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30 pm.

One of the Labourd province's prettiest churches was built in the 16th century and enlarged in the 17th with a triple-decker set of galleries. Parish priest Pierre Axular ranks among the great early authors in the Basque language. His tomb is under the bell tower with an epitaph by Prince Bonaparte: "Every hour wounds; the last sends you to your tomb." 

Combining Roman, Gothic, and Baroque styles, this small church is noteworthy for Jean Cocteau’s avant-garde stained-glass windows, the artist's last major work before his death in 1963. Eschewing religious themes in favor of Greco-Roman myth and shamanism, Cocteau used pastel shades and abstract designs that hint at Cubism. The right window in the chapel features a self-portrait, with figures on the left window thought to represent conflicting aspects of the artist’s personality.

This impressive Gothic church in the shadow of the Centre Pompidou was completed in 1550. Notable features include the turret (it contains the oldest bell in Paris, cast in 1331) and an 18th-century pulpit supported on carved palm trees. There are free concerts here Sunday at 4 pm.

The 12th-century church of St-Paul is noted for its octagonal lantern, its frieze of animal heads in the chancel, and its late-period Flamboyant Gothic chapel.

The oldest structure in the city, the 12th-century church with buttresses attaching it to surrounding houses is located in the center of the citadel's maze of cobblestone streets. Inside the Pisan-Genoese church, look for the 3rd-century white-marble Roman sarcophagus and the Renaissance baptismal font. Walk around the back to see the loggia built above a huge cistern that stored water for use in times of siege. The 14th-century bell tower rises 82 feet.

Next to the Museum of Archeology in the vieille ville, this 12th-century church (also known as Église St-Pierre-des-Templiers) is a miniature-scale Romanesque church. It was recently discovered that its foundations lie on top of two other churches dating from the Carolingian era (AD 800–888). Climb up the 129 steps of the 13th-century bell tower, the Tour San Rafeu, for 360-degree panoramic views, and snap away.

The interior of the village's Église St-Fermin is overblown Rococo—all pink and gold.

Paris's oldest church was built to shelter a simple shard of wood, said to be a relic of Jesus's cross brought back from Spain in AD 542. Vikings came down the Seine and sacked the sanctuary, and Revolutionaries used it to store gunpowder. Yet the elegant building has defied history's abuses: its 11th-century Romanesque tower continues to be the central symbol of the neighborhood. The colorful 19th-century frescoes in the nave are by Hippolyte Flandrin, a pupil of the classical master Ingres, while the Saint-Benoit chapel contains the tomb of philosopher René Descartes. Step inside for spiritual nourishment, or pause in the square to people-watch—there's usually a street musician tucked against the church wall, out of the wind. The church also stages superb organ concerts and recitals; see the website for details.

The marriage of the Sun King and the Infanta took place in 1660 in the church of St-Jean-Baptiste. The marriage tied the knot, so to speak, on the Pyrénées Treaty signed by French chief minister Mazarin on November 7, 1659, ending Spanish hegemony in Europe. Note the church's unusual wooden galleries lining the walls, creating a theaterlike effect. Fittingly, St-Jean-Baptiste hosts a "Musique en Côte Basque" festival of early and Baroque music during the first two weeks of September.

This 12th-century church served as a chapel of the Knights of Malta, a medieval order of friars devoted to hospital care. The church was Aix's first attempt at the Gothic style, and it was here that the counts of Provence were buried throughout the 18th century; their tombs (in the upper left) were attacked during the revolution and have been only partially repaired.

This serene Baroque structure at the foot of the château anchors the oldest church-parish in Nice. Built in 1405, it was here that Martin Luther preached in 1510 and Garibaldi was baptized in 1807.

This modest baroque church, above Rue Obscure, contains a movingly realistic sculpture of Christ carved in fig wood by an anonymous 17th-century convict.

Classed as a world treasure by UNESCO, this extraordinary Romanesque church alone would justify a visit to Arles. The side aisles date from the 11th century and the nave from the 12th. The church's austere symmetry and ancient artworks (including a stunning early Christian sarcophagus) are fascinating. But it's the church's superbly preserved Romanesque sculpture on its 12th-century portal, the renovated entry facade, that earns it international respect. Particularly remarkable is the frieze of the Last Judgment, with souls being dragged off to Hell in chains or, on the contrary, being lovingly delivered into the hands of the saints. Christ is flanked by his chroniclers, the evangelists: the eagle (John), the bull (Luke), the angel (Matthew), and the lion (Mark).

Fréjus is graced with one of the most impressive religious monuments in Provence. The Groupe Épiscopal is made up of an early Gothic cathedral, a 5th-century Roman-style baptistery, and an early Gothic cloister, its gallery painted in sepia and earth tones with a phantasmagoric assortment of animals and biblical characters. Off the entrance and gift shop is a small museum of finds from Roman Fréjus, including a complete mosaic and a sculpture of a two-headed Hermès.

If you wish to pay your respects to the Empress Eugénie, visit La Chapelle Impériale, which she had built in 1864 to venerate a figure of a Mexican Black Virgin from Guadalupe (and perhaps to expiate her sins for furthering her husband's tragic folly of putting Emperor Maximilian and Empress Carlotta on the "throne" of Mexico). The style is a charming hybrid of Roman-Byzantine and Hispano-Mauresque. Its open days and hours are changeable, so call ahead.

The church of St-Laurent, near the Musée Dauphinois, has a hauntingly ancient 6th-century crypt—one of the country's oldest Christian monuments—supported by a row of formidable marble pillars. A tour of the church traces the emergence of Christianity in the Dauphiné.

One of the city's oldest churches, Notre-Dame stands out with spindlelike towers, delicate arches gracing its facade, and 13th-century stained glass. Note the windows in the north transept tracing the lives of five saints, as well as the 11th-century Byzantine linden-wood Black Virgin. Local tradition has it that stroking the small owl sculpted on the outside wall of the adjoining chapel with your left hand grants you a wish.

The church of Notre-Dame, with its fine, pinnacled south front, was built in the 15th and 16th centuries. This is a good starting point to visit the 10 or so other picturesque historical sites, from medieval postern gateways to the 14th-century St-Nicolas hospital chapel (now a museum of religious art) within town; other jewels, such as Madame de Sévigné's Château-Musée des Roches-Sévigné, are set in the nearby countryside. Inquire at the tourist office for details.

Just east of Bandol on the D559, past the smaller resort of Sanary, as you turn left onto the D63 you'll see signs pointing to the small stone chapel of Notre-Dame de Pépiole. It's hemmed in by pines and cypresses and is one of the oldest Christian buildings in France, dating from the 6th century and modeled on early churches in the Middle East. The simple interior has survived the years in remarkably good shape, although the colorful stained glass that fills the tiny windows is modern—composed mainly of broken bottles.

If you have any energy left after exploring Louis XIV's palace and park, a tour of Versailles—a textbook 18th-century town—offers a telling contrast between the majestic and the domestic. From the front gate of Versailles's palace, turn left onto Rue de l'Independence-Américaine and walk over to Rue Carnot past the stately Écuries de la Reine—once the queen's stables, now the regional law courts—to octagonal place Hoche. Down Rue Hoche to the left is the powerful Baroque facade of Notre-Dame, built from 1684 to 1686 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart as the parish church for Louis XIV's new town.

Just east of town on the Route de Fayence is the Romanesque chapel Notre-Dame-de-l'Ormeau, which contains a remarkable altarpiece dating from the 16th century. Sculpted portraits of the wise men and shepherds adoring the Christ child, strikingly real in emotion and gesture, contrast sharply with the simple ex-votos that pepper the walls. Guided visits (€5) take place throughout the year on Thursday at 4:30; you need to reserve with the tourist office (five-person minimum).

Towering above the city and visible for miles around, this overscaled neo-Byzantine basilica was erected in 1853 by Napoléon III. The interior is a Technicolor bonanza of red-and-beige stripes and glittering mosaics, and the gargantuan Madonna and Child on the steeple (almost 30 feet high) is covered in real gold leaf. While the panoply of ex-votos, mostly thanking the Virgin for deathbed interventions and shipwreck survivals, is a remarkable sight, most impressive are the views of the seaside city at your feet.

To find Picasso's final home, where he lived for 12 years until 1973, follow the D35 south of Mougins 2 km (1 mile) to the ancient ecclesiastical site of Notre-Dame-de-Vie. From his room, Picasso could see the 13th-century bell tower and arcaded chapel, a pretty ensemble once immortalized in a painting by Winston Churchill. The chapel, listed as a historical monument since 1927, is said to date from 1655. Approached through an allée of ancient cypresses, the former priory house Picasso shared with his wife, Jacqueline, overlooks the broad bowl of the countryside (now blighted with modern construction). Unfortunately, his residence was bought by a private investor and is now closed to the public.

Walk into the old section of St-Jean-Pied-de-Port through the Porte de France, just behind and to the left of the tourist office; climb the steps on the left up to the walkway circling the ramparts; and stroll around to the stone stairway down to the Rue de l'Église. The church of Our Lady of the End of the Bridge, known for its magnificent Gothic Rayonnant doorway, is at the bottom of this cobbled street. Built in the 12th century and designated a church in the 13th century, it is a characteristically Basque three-tier structure.